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From Naples to Kagoshima: PUMA and nss launch the Volcano Shirt

The natural union that connects Naples and Kagoshima becomes streetwear

From Naples to Kagoshima: PUMA and nss launch the Volcano Shirt The natural union that connects Naples and Kagoshima becomes streetwear

nss and PUMA present a unique jersey that unites two worlds that are distant - geographically - but close, celebrating the brotherhood between Naples and the Japanese city of Kagoshima. In a historical moment in which travel and contact with other cultures is temporarily impossible, the Volcano Shirt is a tool to travel with the mind through the universal language of football style. The point of contact is offered by nature, generating two volcanoes separated by 13 thousand kilometers but incredibly similar: Vesuvius and Sakurajima, two symbols that make their respective cities iconic.

 

 

The slopes of the two "twins" are the editorial set - inspired by the gorpcore trend - shot in parallel in Japan and Italy, the first step to build a positive narrative that starts from Naples and reaches all over the world. The shirt - available on the nss store - is in slick gray and is populated by references to the aesthetics of Japanese football jerseys. The all-over graphic that symbolizes the fire and magma of the volcanoes is inspired by the pattern of the PUMA jerseys of the Japanese national team of the 90s. The emblem that recalls the nature of the two mountains and the nss sports logo that gives the impression of shattering as the rocks after an explosion. But it is the details that make the jersey unique: along the entire jersey there is a pattern with the names and coordinates of the volcanoes, in order to build an ideal geographical link between the two places.

The Volcano Shirt is part of a wider PUMA project that saw the participation of communities, brands and magazines, protagonists of an international network that marked the rise of the football-fashion trend: COPA90SEASON zine and Shukyu Magazine. All jerseys are available on the nss store and at puma.com.

 

Combining two worlds that are so distant can be complicated, but the global language of football is the real bridge between two distant cultures. This same tool brought us to Tokyo, where the Club Napoli Nippon Samurai Azzurri has ideally opened its doors to tell us how to live Naples at a distance and how two opposing lifestyles can be united by the same football passion. We interviewed two members of the Neapolitan fan club: a Neapolitan who has been in Japan for 15 years and a member who, despite being 1.300 kilometers away, is part of the Samurai Azzurri from Kagoshima.

 

"To love means to want to be close when one is far away" used to say a famous poet.
But how do you live, as a Neapolitan, Naples and Naples 10,000 kilometers away?

As a famous Neapolitan writer says, "whoever has moved away from Naples, moves away from everything and can no longer come close to anything". This sentence contains my most intimate feeling that I reveal only to a few. Although I have lived in Japan for 15 years now, I still haven't gotten used to the idea of not having Naples, the sea, the seafront and Vesuvius in front of me in everyday life. I personally define myself as a "Nippoletano", a Neapolitan in Japan but with a heart in Naples.

The Napoli Nippon Club brings together the "Samurai Azzurri" from Tokyo and Japan. What unites and how do you live a match between people who experience a sporting event in a different way?

What unites us is the passion for Naples and Napoli. When we are able to watch a match together, I feel emotions similar to those of when I attended the San Paolo Stadium 20 years ago. The warmth and support of the Japanese members of the club is no less than that of the warm Neapolitan fans.

 

In your opinion, which characteristic of Naples and Napoli attracts a culture as different as the Japanese one, apparently distant from the Neapolitan mentality?

I would say precisely the difference between the two cultures. Let me explain: the Japanese culture that somehow forces seriousness, rigidity, to maintain social distances is in full contrast to the Neapolitan culture made of hugs, loud chatter and confidence from the first moment. I think it is this opposition that favors the attraction of the Japanese towards Neapolitan culture. On the other hand, opposites attract, right?

The Volcano shirt tries to unite two worlds, two aesthetic ideas under a single symbol: the volcano. You who have lived in Japan for many years, what do you think is the best common point between Naples and Kagoshima?

Surely Vesuvius and Sakurajima have similar profiles as well as the waterfront of the two cities. In addition to the naturalistic similarity, the fact that both Kagoshima and Naples are two southern cities is another point in common. Just like in Italy, even the south of Japan is more "folkloristic" than the rigidity of the capital, Tokyo. In some ways, the character of the people is similar. Once I was visiting Kagoshima and I gave my seat on the train to an elderly lady who, without being intimidated by my being a foreigner, immediately pulled a mandarin out of her shopping bag to offer it to me as a sign of thanks. This gesture immediately brought my mind back to Naples, where grandmothers used to thank the boys with sweets and other treats for every good deed they did.

 

What is the Napoli Nippon dei Samurai Azzurri Club for you and what does it mean to be part of this group?

It means being able to be together with people who share the same passion for Naples. It means being able to talk about Naples and the memories linked to the city with people who understand and have experienced the same emotions. It means letting the fans who are in Naples know that there are also fans in Japan who support their own team.

Is there something specific that made you fall in love with Napoli and the culture around this team and these colors?

I was born in Kagoshima and Naples has always been a known "word" since I was a child. Then watching the 1986 World Cup starts, I ended up falling in love with Maradona. The next day I started cheering on Naples and becoming more and more interested in Naples as a city. The people of Naples live life the way it should be lived and I find this fascinating. I also realized that the sun, the sea and pizza are good for people's mood and their health!

 

SHOOTING IN KAGOSHIMA
Photographer: Anouk Brouwer
Model: Rentaro Nakayama
Production: BIANCO
SHOOTING IN NAPLES
Photographer: Luigi Lista
Style/Production: Francesco Tizzano
Cast: Andrea De Luca
Footage: Simone Lista
Style assistant: Roberta Miriam Maimmane

 
The Volcano Shirt is available on nss store and at puma.com